*At the age of 15 when Magali Couffon expressed her desire to take pictures, her father willingly handed over a camera to the teen. Since then she has been travelling and shooting whatever interests her. *
She went on to study art and accepted the offer of working in the textile industry only to quit it after 15 years, to become a professional photographer. The result is her a solo exhibition 'Tribal Lights' which captures the tribals of Odisha in their jubilation, relaxation, pensive and rebellious moods in 42 enlarged colour pictures seeking to explain to city dwellers, how tribal folks live as a big happy family.
Shot either early mornings or in the second half of the day, the pictures showcase the talent and skill of the young photographer. The festivals have been shot at night where Magali plays with the element of fire. "A painter uses a brush. Iuse light. Ilike to suggest a few things and let the rest be discovered by the viewer."
Her discovery of the lives of tribals came about when one of her teachers asked her to accompany him on a trip to the tribal belts of the state. "Despite having lived in India for 18 years, I hadn't been able to see Odisha so it was fortunate for me to be invited by my teacher," says Magali.
Her photographs display the exuberance of a group of young girls who accessorise their hair with tick tack clips, wrap sarees in the traditional way to match steps and sway their hips in tandem with the local tunes around the holy fire. For Magali, "The presence of clips (an urban element) denotes a mark of change!"
It is also the reason why she decided to click feet of a young tribal girl wearing ghungroos. "The girl has polished her toe nails pink which Idon't think is readily
available in tribal areas."
The photographs 'Colour Chores', 'Fisherwomen', 'Gold Weight', 'Girl Power' and 'Defiantly' give a sneak peak into daily lives of these tribals while 'Into the wild' is a perfect example of how Magali plays with green of the foliage to provide a fresh leash of life to an old, wrinkled man.
The exhibition also includes a few digital prints like 'Sense of Rhythm' and 'Blush' which are printed on sheep skin imported from New Zealand. Magali shares that these are part of her fashion photography projects but in sync with the subject. 'Religious burst' and 'Wildfire' have been printed on brushed aluminium to give them a modern touch!
But Magali's best are the varied mood shots captured across age groups. Be it 'Rebellious' or 'Toxic Affair', her pictures are definitely telling tales beyond a 1000 words!
The exhibition is on display till May 11 at Gallerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française. Reported by Deccan Herald 4 days ago.
She went on to study art and accepted the offer of working in the textile industry only to quit it after 15 years, to become a professional photographer. The result is her a solo exhibition 'Tribal Lights' which captures the tribals of Odisha in their jubilation, relaxation, pensive and rebellious moods in 42 enlarged colour pictures seeking to explain to city dwellers, how tribal folks live as a big happy family.
Shot either early mornings or in the second half of the day, the pictures showcase the talent and skill of the young photographer. The festivals have been shot at night where Magali plays with the element of fire. "A painter uses a brush. Iuse light. Ilike to suggest a few things and let the rest be discovered by the viewer."
Her discovery of the lives of tribals came about when one of her teachers asked her to accompany him on a trip to the tribal belts of the state. "Despite having lived in India for 18 years, I hadn't been able to see Odisha so it was fortunate for me to be invited by my teacher," says Magali.
Her photographs display the exuberance of a group of young girls who accessorise their hair with tick tack clips, wrap sarees in the traditional way to match steps and sway their hips in tandem with the local tunes around the holy fire. For Magali, "The presence of clips (an urban element) denotes a mark of change!"
It is also the reason why she decided to click feet of a young tribal girl wearing ghungroos. "The girl has polished her toe nails pink which Idon't think is readily
available in tribal areas."
The photographs 'Colour Chores', 'Fisherwomen', 'Gold Weight', 'Girl Power' and 'Defiantly' give a sneak peak into daily lives of these tribals while 'Into the wild' is a perfect example of how Magali plays with green of the foliage to provide a fresh leash of life to an old, wrinkled man.
The exhibition also includes a few digital prints like 'Sense of Rhythm' and 'Blush' which are printed on sheep skin imported from New Zealand. Magali shares that these are part of her fashion photography projects but in sync with the subject. 'Religious burst' and 'Wildfire' have been printed on brushed aluminium to give them a modern touch!
But Magali's best are the varied mood shots captured across age groups. Be it 'Rebellious' or 'Toxic Affair', her pictures are definitely telling tales beyond a 1000 words!
The exhibition is on display till May 11 at Gallerie Romain Rolland, Alliance Française. Reported by Deccan Herald 4 days ago.